Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
(i) Introduction
The Atlantic Veterinary College accepted its first class in the fall of 1986. Approximately 60 students are selected each year for entrance into the four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The admission process for veterinary studies is designed to select applicants considered most likely to succeed in the veterinary curriculum, subject only to Federal-Provincial agreements for regional quotas. Students must have potential to become competent, responsible veterinarians, dedicated to a lifetime of productive public service and continued learning.
Each year, the college normally accepts 60 students to its DVM program. Approximately forty-two of the seats are reserved for residents of Atlantic Canada and the remaining eighteen seats are for international students.
(ii) Admission Requirements
Applicants are required to complete prerequisite courses and supply official Graduate Record Examination - General (GRE) results. Applicants will be able to fulfill the academic requirements at a university of their choice. Applicants are advised to register in programs which will provide a career alternative, should they not be admitted to the DVM program.
Required Courses (50%)
A total of 50 points of the applicant score will be based upon grades attained in the 20 required courses (15 specified and 5 electives with the highest grades). These 50 points will be calculated as follows:
a) 30% or 15 points from the average of the four biological science prerequisite courses, including Genetics, Microbiology, and two animal Biology electives;
b) 70% or 35 points from grades in the remaining 16 required courses as listed:
Normally, these courses must be completed while the applicant is enrolled as a full-time student carrying at least 9 semester-hours credit (3 courses), excluding labs. Science courses will normally have a laboratory component and be completed within six years of the date of application. Exceptional circumstances will be given consideration; however, it is necessary for all applicants to demonstrate the ability to master difficult subject matter in the context of meaningful full-time activity.
Graduate Record Examination (5%)
Interview (30%)
Applicants will be selected for an interview based on their academic ranking. The interview is structured to assess non-cognitive abilities such as, innovative thinking, confidence, integrity, communication, sound judgment, adaptability and resilience.
Animal/Veterinary-Related Experience (10%)
Applicants are requested to submit a structured and detailed description of their veterinary and animal experience within the last five years prior to application. They are strongly encouraged to obtain experience in a wide variety of animal and veterinary related areas. The detailed description will be evaluated by two members of the Admissions Committee.
Extracurricular Activities (5%)
Applicants are requested to submit a detailed description of extracurricular activities within the last 5 years. This will be evaluated by two faculty members on the Admissions Committee.
Assessment of Applications
The first step, encompassing 55% of the evaluation, involves ascertaining completeness of the application, i.e. fulfillment of minimal requirements for admission, then ranking of applicants according to the grades received in the prerequisite courses and GRE scores. Based upon the rank list, approximately twice as many applicants will be invited for an interview than are offered a seat. For applicants that have applied for one of the seats offered to Atlantic Canadians and who are enrolled in courses, a re-evaluation of the academic average is completed when the final transcript is received.
The second step involves only those applicants invited for an interview. The remaining 45% of the evaluation will be based on interview (30%), animal/veterinary-related experience (10%), and extracurricular activities (5%).
(iii) Application Procedure
Application Forms
You can download the forms in .PDF format. This will require the Adobe Acrobat Reader
Note: The applicant is responsible to ensure that all required material is on file by the appropriate deadline; incomplete applications will not be reviewed. While the provisions of this document will ordinarily be applied as stated, the University reserves the right to change any provision listed herein, including but not limited to academic requirements for admission, without notice to individual applicants. Every effort will be made to inform applicants of any changes. Information on changes will be available from the Office of the Registrar.
Atlantic Canadian Applicants
A resident of the Atlantic Provinces is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident:
Atlantic Canadian Applicant Instructions
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US Applicants
Applicants who are United States citizens or residents must apply through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). Application deadline for VMCAS is October 2.
Students can request information by visiting http://www.aavmc.org/ or telephoning 1-877-862-2740.
US Application Information and Instructions
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Non-US Applicants
International applicants may apply directly to UPEI. Acceptable English language proficiency requirements include: TOEFL 550 (213 minimum on computerized test); IELTS overall band of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0; MELAB overall score of 80; CanTEST 4.5 minimum; or CAEL minimum overall score of 60, with no band below 50.
Non-US Application Information and Instructions
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Advanced Standing/Transfer Students Deadline January 1
Advanced Standing Students are students who have completed all of a veterinary medical program from a school not accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and/or the American Veterinary Medical Association but “listed” by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Transfer Students are students who have completed at least one year of a veterinary medical program at a college accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and/or the American Veterinary Medical Association or “listed” by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Colleges “listed” by the American Veterinary Medical Association include foreign colleges recognized by the World Health Organization or the government of its own country, and whose graduates, are eligible to practice in that country, and whose graduates may qualify for entrance into the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) certification program in the United States or the Clinical Proficiency Exam (CPE) in Canada.
Advanced standing or transfer applicants may apply to the second or third year of the DVM program. Places for advanced standing or transfer students are limited and depend on vacancies. Advanced standing students normally must have graduated from a veterinary program within six years of the date of application. Transfer applicants normally must have completed at least the first year of a veterinary program immediately preceding acceptance to the 2nd year of our veterinary medicine program.
Advanced standing or transfer applicants who do not meet the requirements mentioned in the previous paragraph are invited to submit a letter explaining why the admissions committee should consider their application. For advanced standing applicants the explanation must provide details of further veterinary-related study or work.
